Review of Jaws 2 (1978) by Jeff B — 06 Aug 2014

Better than film history leads you to believe despite swimming in choppier waters than its predecessor, Jaws 2 provides a decent coda to the first summer blockbuster...if only the franchise had stopped there. Granted, Jaws didn't require or even need a follow up but boffo box office and the inevitability of H'Wood numbers dictated otherwise. Unlike the atrocious chapters that followed, this sequel at least brought back most of the original cast and setting (hell, even Richard Dreyfuss's Hooper gets a mention). There's nothing nearly as groundbreaking story or shot wise, but this deuce has its moments. At its heart, it's an effective scaremaker. In fact, if Jaws hadn't come before it, more filmgoers and critics would've found it to be an above average creature feature. Granted, if Jaws hadn't come before it, this go-round wouldn't exist.

In this PG-rated thriller, Police Chief Brody (Scheider) must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

Reportedly, Roy Scheider didn't want any part of this sequel but used it as leverage to get out of his contract with Universal. If so, any disagreeableness doesn't show through in the end result. His Chief Brody conveys the same steely driven Everyman conviction as in the first flick. Elevated to leading status, Lorraine Gary likewise ratchets up the emotion of a wife and mother shouldering fear and uncertainty. Director Jeannot Szwarc was at a big disadvantage. If following in Steven Spielberg's impossibly big footsteps wasn't bad enough, the titular star already got a slowburn reveal in the first film. So, the monster appears early and often, menacing kids and more kids. However, the director at least carves out a slight niche of his own with some clever scenes. Scheider filling bullets with cyanide remains a standout. Despite some thrills, the last third gets weighed down by the intended kid victims getting too much screen time. The audience's collective intelligence dips below a junior high level by shear amalgamation. Still, Jaws 2 rises above its unfortunate reputation overall.

Bottom line: Great White Hope.